February 23, 2006

Foolish Daisy and Foolish Gatsby

"Gatsby and I in turn leaned down and took the small reluctant hand. Afterward he kept looking at a the child with surprise. I don't think he had ever really believed in its existence before (117).

I said in a previous blog that Daisy was perhaps going to instill the what you don't know can't hurt you idea in her daughter. Now that we all have read the entire book (Yes Matt you can finally start talking), the obvious outcome that Daisy gets away with murder basically confirms my claim. I must say I was surprised with Daisy's character. I in some way had hope that she would be the one true honest person in the end. I was wrong. However, Gatsby quite possiblely surprised me the most, for he underestimated a mother's love for her children. Yes one can argue that she was quick to use her daughter for show, and acted in an unmotherly manner- but lets remember this was set in the roaring 20s where a party is where you went and drinking and smoking was what you did. Gatsby in his hopeless fantasy life with Daisy, never gave thought to the idea of child in the mix - what a fool!

Posted by Shanelle Evkovich at February 23, 2006 11:33 PM

Comments

Gatsby is surprised that the child exists because she is a living, breathing affront to his every belief for the past 5 years. Never for a moment did Gatsby consider that Daisy has moved on, including marriage and a child. This is his fatal flaw. When this child is paraded before him, it still doesn't register that he is the outsider. Notice how FSF says "...never beleived in ITS existence before(emphasis added)." He could have said HER existence in reference to the child, but uses a subtle double meaning to hint that Gatsby remains clueless that life will proceed in a way other than he wants. Even when confronted with a living, breathing child, he puts the blinders on as if nothing has changed. What other end could he have come to?

I agree. Gatsby didn't want to confront the idea that there was a child between Tom and Daisy. It would have been a reality check for him. Gatsby for as intelligent as he was, was a fool. He had his head so stuck in the clouds,that he did not look at the big picture. It amazed me how Gatsby told Tom that Daisy never loved him. Only a fool can believe that a person is no capable of loving more than one person.

After reading this intial blog and the comments posted, it really highlights to me how very foolish Gatsby was not to consider Daisy and Toms child. Yes, Gatsby may have been able to come inbetween Tom and Daisy in the form of an affair, but it would have never gone any farther than this. Gatsby never for one moment considered there relationship to be stagnant. In his eyes they were becoming closer and closer and even after the surprising and unbelievable introduction of Pammy, Daisy's daughter, to gatsby, he thought for maybe a split moment and then pushed aside what this child really meant for the future of their relationship. Gatsby does proove to be foolish in many ways, this being his biggest in my opinion.